Barrette



C. C. HOLDEN June 10, 1952 BARRETTEI Filed Dec. 27, 1948 .INVENTOR QROFTON C. HOLDEN M wm ATTORNEYS Patented June 10, 1952 PATENT OFFICE. v 25599316 I nARRE'r'rn Ci'oft'on C. floldem-Leominst'er; Mass, assignor tollilton &;Cook .Co'.-, Leominster, Mass-,a cor -e' poration' of Massachusetts: 1

Application December 27, 1948, Serial No. 67,404

Thepresent invention relates to ornamental articles such-as barrettes, pins, and the like, and

has as its object the-provision of a construction wherein decorative combinations of colors and of materials may readily be provided.

It is common practice, in manufacturing small articles such asbarrettes, pins, combs and similar personal ornaments, to mold such articles out of: a; plastic composition, whichis generally colored. As such articles are customarily pro-x duced in large quantities, it is usual. practice to mold at least the body of the article in one sign or appearance. More specifically, the in-.

vention contemplates a construction wherein the several parts may readily be assembled into an interlocked structure having the appearance of a orb-piece construction, but exhibiting pleasing contrasts in design, material, or color.

In the drawings illustrating the invention according to a preferred but by no means exclusive embodiment, Fig. 1 is a front view of a barrette exhibiting a contrasting ornamentation; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is a rear view; Fig. 4 is a rear view without the tongue, showing the elements partially separated to illustrate the complementary relation of the elements, and Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on the lines 5-5 and 66 respectively of Fig. 1.

The barrette of the illustrative embodiment is of arcuate configuration, and is provided with a hinged tongue curved to follow the general contour of the body of the barrette. An ornamental appearance is afforded by a row of geometrically shaped faceted elements disposed along the front of the barrette. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to devices of arcuate shape, nor to any particular configuration or design of ornamentation or decorative elements.

The usual practice, in making barrettes and similar devices, is to mold the body in one piece, usually employing a colored plastic to enhance the ornamental appearance. This results in the decorative element being alike in color and the barrette or other device therefore relatively con-- ventlonal in appearance.

' 2Claims. ((31.41834').

According to the present inventiom'the bars rette body isiormed intwo parts, as best shown in Fig. 4, with certain of-the decorativeele'ments carried by and integrar with one body part; while other decorative elements are integralwitlr the other bod partz- These two parts .are'ieonx-r structcd so-tliat they will fit together in interlock:

in: relation provide in. efieot a unitary .body'..--

one part: may be for-med. with"v the decora=- ments I6 on support I811 lFrefera-bly although not;

necessarily, the respective supports: I 4 and; |=8- will lie adjacent. to but'on'oppositc sides-;.of .a median line, 'to' provide substantial symmetry oi!- theldecorative' elements relative toithe'i-r support-. ing means, !8 i.Wi11l extend. acrosskthe back-of the barrette: alongside one another, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, with the decorative elements l2 and I6 disposed in front of and concealing the supports, the elements alternating as shown in Fig. 1 to give a pleasing contrast in color, texture or material, depending on the materials selected for the two parts of the composite body. By using different colors for the molding composition from which the two parts are molded, pleasing color contrasts and combinations may be produced. Alternatively, the body parts may be formed of a material other than a plastic, such as metals contrasting in color, and likewise combinations of 7 metal and non-metallic compositions may be employed with highly decorative effect.

Because of the interlocking arrangement by which, except at the outer ends, each decorative element of one part fits between two elements of the other body part, with the elements of each part lying in front of and overlapping the support for the elements of the other part, the parts may readily be secured together by using a small amount of adhesive at contacting surfaces, for example between adjacent surfaces of the supports 14 and I8.

The hinge mounting for the tongue 20 may be provided by means of a lug 22 that may be separately formed and adhesively secured to the back of the supports i4 and I8 near one end, or alternatively, the lug may be molded integrally with one body part so as to project from the support thereof. In the same way, the lug 24 over which the other end of the tongue may be snapped may be integrally formed with the barrette body or subsequently attached.

It will be observed that the two body parts,

Thus,- the supporting sections-i4 and 1 when made as illustrated in Fig. 3, are substantially identical when one or the other is turned through 180 in the plane of the drawing. Thus, the same mold may be used for both body parts, by making up a number of parts with one color, and then making a run with a plastic of the other color.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as having a two-part composite body, combinations and arrangements involving more than two parts may be provided, permitting additional colors and materials to be incorporated while retaining the substantially unitary ap- Accordingly,-

pearance of the assembled article. it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown and described, as the principles thereof are applicable to decorative and ornamental articles of various types, and having different shapes and arrangements of decorative elements that may be juxtaposed in interlocking or overlapping-relation to provide pleasing and ornamental effects. I claim as my invention:

1.vAn ornamental article composed of at least two parts, one part comprising a support and aplurality of integrally formed decorative elements 4 overlying the support of the other part forwardly thereof.

2. An ornamental article composed of at least two parts, one part comprising a plurality of spaced decorative elements and an integral supporting member extending across the back of and connecting said elements, with one margin of the support lying substantially ontliemedian line across the back of the decorative elements, a second set of decorative elements differing in appearance from those of the first set, the decorative elements of the second set being similarly connected by an integral support extending across theback of said spaced elements, with one margin of the support lying substantially on the median 1 line across the back of the decorative elements,

, the two sets of elements being assembled with the decorative elements of one part disposed in the spaces between decorative elements of the other part to form a row, With'the decorative elements of each part overlapping the front face of the sup: port-forthe-otherpart and With the said supports in juxtaposed relation above and below the median line across the backs of said decorative elements.

cRoFToN c.

REFERENCES QITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 712,727 Schaefier Nov. 4, 1902 1,152,883 Damon Sept. 7, 1915 2,178,055 Stupell Oct. 31, 1939 2,303,294 -Wagner N0 V.'24, 1942 2,342,237 Barbieri Feb. 22; 1944 

